Sonic Colors Intended for Children, Says Lead Designer

Sonic fans outside the game's six- to 12-year-old demographic should pick up Sonic 4, according to Takashi Iizuka.

The hardcore crowd may want to look elsewhere for their blue hedgehog fix when Sonic Colors releases this November. At least, that's the vibe lead designer Takashi Iizuka put out in a recent interview with Game (via CVG).

"We know there are sometimes opinions about control from core gamers, but we're intending Sonic Colors to be played by children of probably between six and twelve years-old," Iizuka revealed.

"I think that there are two types of Sonic players," the designer explained. "One is the people who have played since the MegaDrive, who are mainly fans of 2D Sonic games and didn't really play the 3D Sonic games so much. For those gamers Sonic Team will be giving them Sonic 4 so they can pick the Sonic game they want to play."

He continued, "The other is the ones who have played 3D Sonic games and felt that the game was too difficult. Sonic Colors is the game for those types of players. It's still a 3D Sonic game but the controls are more user-friendly; it's an easy to pick up and play type of game. So through the two Sonic games I feel the needs of both of the two core groups of Sonic fans are being addressed."

Seems straightforward enough; Sonic fans that can remember the original Bush presidency should probably go with Sonic 4. Everyone else ought to stick with Colors -- though we're still not entirely sure which category these guys fall under.

Comments (40)

Kids don't care

For kids? I think this is a waste of game, I mean cmon kids have a lot of games and stuff that are made just for them, can't we at least have one sonic game that's for us older fans (I'm 15) I'm sure sega will do a better job because I'm sure I'm know what they're capable of after shadow the hedgehog, sonic06 and black knight, I'm not saying sega should go gun crazy like shadow but they should make a good awesome action packed game with awesome gameplay and amazing speed where sonic goes fast but not too fast just like sonic adventure, kids these days don't care much about this, just give them any game and they don't care about anything, and sega just needs to focus on the older fanbase and not the kids I'm sure that they'll do much better than what they're throwing out now. Sonic colors has much more potential and they just had to give it to the kids.

wow, no duh

i've been saying this to the demanding furries for years. These games were always kid's games with a simple premise and simple gameplay that looked great for their time and were alot of fun. you wonder why you don't like empty anthropomorphic 'tude and completely basic run and jump gameplay as an adult? probably the same reason you don't go out of your way to watch sesame street every morning.

sonic 4 is recommended to adults simply because it's going entirely down the retro route... kids today would have no reason to pick up a bare bones 2d sidescrolling platformer if they had the option to pick up a 3d sonic with a little more 'tudeness and gimmicky things in it that appeal to them.

Sega, You Suck Balls

Sega PR Announcement: After years of failed consoles and dwindling game sales, we the fun experts at Sega have listened to YOU the fans! That's why we're going back to our roots. Believe us, this time we've really learned our lesson. Ladies and gentleman, Sega presents Sonic the Hedgehog 4! .......... Episode 1

Episode 1?! Huh?! No Hablo Englais?! So this is a kids franchise and kids are supposed to care that this is episodic serial content like Half Life 2? Episode implies edge of your seat story? Something Sonic doesn't have? And we all like it that way? And why would you slap Episode 1 on ANYTHING after the blight on mankind a.k.a. the Phantom Menace? Why don't you just call your game Sonic 4: Hitler Was On To Something? Now I know comparing Star Wars Episode 1 to the Fuhrer is like comparing apples and oranges. But that's okay. Sega apologists don't eat fruit, so we'll just leave in the ludicrous remark.

Sega, to quote Joe Pesci in Casino, "You could fuck up a cup of coffee!"

2 kinds of sonic players

I found this to be a liitle off. There are 2 kinds of Sonic fans ones that like good games and ones that don't like good games. There are not too many of the later.

Making games for kids is cool but if the game is really good then everyone should be able to enjoy it. Too many games have been made under the disclaimer for kids. I mean really the old games back in the day where made for kids. Bad gameplay should not = made for kids. They should just say we are trying to make a good game. Not all 3D sonics have been bad Sonic Adventures wasn't bad.

the internetz r ANGRY!

Seriously people, calm the freak down. It's now the cool thing to hate on SEGA. You've never played the game. All this is saying is the people that bitch about 3d controls in sonic-- usually older gamers-- can play sonic 4 which is 2d controls.

Sonic colors is 3d controls for the younger generation who ar en't going to automatically compare it to the old sonic games.--- that's it. Making the controls more user friendly is a good thing considering the main complaint about 3d sonic is it's hard to keep up the momentum-- simpler should = quicker. By making the gameplay simpler they are making appeal to the widest audience possible-- that doesn't mean it will be bad though.

stop talking about this "dumbing down" crap. Stop hatin on SEGA. You've never played these games.

Stop this madness

The irony is that back in the day Sonic 2 was probably intended for the 6-12 age demographic, and that game is still difficult to beat to this day. We were playing Sonic 2 when were 6 and 12 why can't the kids of today be allowed to face the same challenges? Those games are the only reason Sonic is around today, despite his MANY disasterous attempts since his glory days. This is just the corporate head honchos trying sell games, and we all know they don't care about the quality of shit -_-

Leave it to the internets

He openly admits that this game is made for the core gamers so why are it that the core gamers get upset?

Ridiculous-- truly

I know this game isn't for me, so I am ignoring it. When Sonic 4 comes out I'll buy that one-- because that game is for me. Sega doesn't care you hate them. They are making two games so they don't shut out their audience

Wow...

Way to shut out over half of your audience! And to make it worse, they target the remaining younger audience that can't even remember a good Sonic game. The only people who are going to buy this game are 6-10 year olds that look at the pretty colors (hence the title) and say "I want that". Even then, that won't get anything over minimal sales revenues. When is Sega going to throw out their usual development routine and start fresh like they claim they will every time they're about to begin a new game?

I don't know who's worse.

wait a second....

So your telling me that the game with more nuts and bolts and different mechanics and medicore level design is the game that's being targeted for kids...and the tight, easily controllable, easily accessible, pick up and play, simple game is being targeted to the hardcores? Does this seem strange to anyone else? I think that with a set-up as simple as 2-D Sonic games have, they should absolutely be able to make a game that satisfies both audiences. Like geez Sonic was essentially a ONE BUTTON game for the most part.

Sega's dead to me anyway!

LMAO! SEGA SUCKS ANYWAY THEY HAVEN'T PROVIDED ANYTHING IMPRESSIVE IN YEARS Still wating for SOR 4,SM 2-3-4 on PS3 mind you or Xbox360 But its ok that there making games for kids if its for a good cause then great..But don't get me involed with kid games..

Wait...

Taking away all the extra stuff it didn't need. Simplifying the controls and gameplay. Making the game more straight forward... Sooo basically a Sonic game that EVERYONE'S been asking for wasn't getting made because you were trying to appease the hardcore/veteran crowd instead of kids? O_o

I know....

They tried the "something for everybody" approach and that made for horrible games that everyone griped about. So when they actually THINK and decide to create a game for the kids and a game for adults separately, everyone gripes about that too? Instead of "You can't please everybody." The saying needs to be changed to "You can't please anybody because people these days are bitches."

you got that right

although i grew up playing 2D sonic and also really enjoyed the adventure series, i was one of those that somewhat ended up being more excited about this than sonic 4. sega really knows how to kill the vibe

Because 6-12 year olds play anything

I was really lookingforward to seeing what this game would be all about, because it looked like it would have the best features of Sonic Adventures and Sonic Unleashed (the latter being the on rails parts) in one cool game. But the fact that they are actually trying to keep the hardcore and older gamers from buying it tells me that they know the game will suck and they don't want the people who have the strongest voice to be able to use their voice. And the 6-12 year old crowd will eat it up because many of them don't know better. When I was in that age bracket I would play almost anything you put in front of me too. I can't believe the amount of time I spent playing Golgo 13, Robocop 2+3, and Tag Team Wrestling. But at that age any game was fun. Again this is my assumption based on the fact that I have never heard of a company trying to minimize the number of people that will buy a game in a huge franchise, but I may rent it just so I can give a factual account of how bad (or good) it ends up.

For kids?

I think Sonic Colors can be enjoyed by anyone that isn't a child or under the age of 12 years old. I been playing games since 1989 and enjoy all types of games even those that are for children or rated Everyone. Sure Sonic has hit a slump after the Dreamcast era but his games sell millions and are enjoyed by everyone who enjoys Sonic. I won't be buying Sonic Colors until it hits $20 but will be buying Sonic 4 whenever it comes out if its under $15.

The dumbing down of games is saddening

I've been playing since 1986. I'm sure all of us old school gamers can agree that we didn't get cut any slack just because we were kids. I don't know. I understand that gaming companies need to maximize profits any way they can, but seriously this is getting out of hand. I've noticed that I can fly through most modern games pretty damn quickly on the first time through. At first I thought it was because I'm older now and I can grasp concepts more quickly, but it seems that this is only a small part of it. The larger part is the simplicity of most games these days. I remember pouring some serious hours into games like the original Metroid and Ninja Gaiden and the feeling of accomplishment when I finally beat Tyson for the first time. Meanwhile, I pick up a great game like God of War, but finish it in 7 hours without breaking a sweat. Mega Man 9 was great because it brought that difficulty back. The funny thing was that a lot of folks (mostly young gamers that grew up during the ps2 era) complained that it was to hard and that is why they didn't like it. Now, we have developers making up excuses for their games before they are even released because they already know it's going to be simplistic shovelware. I don't even know if I have a point here, but I'm just hoping that Sonic Colors turns out to be a deep game with simple controls. Just because a game has simple controls doesn't mean it has to be simplistic in nature. Anyways, my rant is over. Not even 30 yet and talking about the good old days.

Developer Discretion

If I were involved in this project, I would let the game speak for itself when it's released and let the public and game journalists make such a comment. I understand that some games are obviously made for edutainment purposes, but the Sonic franchise has much to offer for both demographics.

Yeah... Sega is retarded.

What's the #1 complaint that all gamers complained about when we got Sonic Adventures 1 & 2, then Sonic Heroes or even Sonic Unleashed?

ALL THE LEVELS THAT YOU DID NOT PLAY AS SONIC AND WERE NOT FAST!!!

I loved Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, but whenever I had to play the Tails or Knuckles levels, I wanted to eject the disc and flush it down the toilet! Or what about Sonic Unleashed with that Werewolf form? I mean come on. Everyone complained that those kinda levels suck, yet Sega keeps adding crap like that!

So what's the solution? Let's make another 3D Sonic game... not listen to our teen and adult fans... and just release a kiddy game because kids are stupid, they are gonna beg their game illiterate parents to buy it for them for Christmas or their birthdays and it's a definative profit maker!

Why am I complaining? Cause Sonic 4 looks like shit. I hated the 2D Genesis Sonic games, I never liked them. It wasn't until Sonic went 3D on the Dreamcast that I finally played and enjoyed a Sonic game past the first level and finished the game! At least Sonic Adventures 1 and 2, I can see what's ahead, I can use my skills to platform my way to the end of the level... unlike 2D Sonic games where it's all about dying over and over again while memorizing where all the pits, traps, spikes and enemies are so you don't run into it because you have less than 0.0001 seconds to react as you're speeding through a 2D level!

More Sega stupidity....

Such rash (and misplaced) generalization is going to bite them back (again!).

I've been playing since the first one, and the only Sonic games I'll go back and play are Sonic CD (the best one), Sonic Rush, Adventure, and Unleashed (daytime stages). I'm mainly into the 3d ones

I was kinda looking forward to this more than Sonic 4, which seems to be so far a Sonic 2 rip off (they need to let that era of Sonic gaming go). Disappointed again, big surprise, the Sonic fan cycle of despair continues, just like the Unleashed wherehog bomb or the "2006 StH is actually trash" bonb or the Sonic Heroes "the voices just wont stop!" bomb..... -____-....

Overheard at the SEGA Conference room

CEO: Gamers aren't falling for our empty promises and terrible products any more. We need another demographic to exploit.
Vice-President: How about kids? Kids are stupid. Their idiot parents, too.
CEO: You, sir, just made President.

Ha Ha!

No, wait, SRSLY? You're ignoring the fanbase of people who remember when Sonic is good, in fact not ignoring so much as telling them to go #$%@ off, and targeting only people who either have zero experience with Sonic or have only played the crap ones?

sigh

i know how you feel man! Just cause majority of us grew with the 2D series, doesn't mean that all us did not play some of the 3D games such as the adventure series on GC/DC and hated, cause on the contrary, I loved that series. What they said could just prevent some gamers to not purchase this game. tsk tsk sega...

errrrr

when my interest has finally seem to be stronger for Colors than sonic 4, they had to say that...*sigh*

As much as I loved the 2D sonic games, I freakin adored the Adventure series for the gamecube/dreamcast as well, and Colors looks to be somewhat very close to the Adventure series in terms of gameplay...Did they really have to say that?! Did they?!

But! im still planning on playing this, just that, after what he said, I feel like they are trying to preventing me from getting the game or whatever. tsk tsk tsk, sega sega sega. If I feel like this, then this might make some other gamers to NOT get Colors. tsk tsk tsk, sega just has to make a mistake somewhere don't they?

I'm not a kid

I'm getting it anyway I don't care. I also preordered it so I will be getting the Sonic hat and there is a good chance I will be wearing it both in the car as I'm driving home as well as at home playing it for the first time.

Here's another obvious headline.

While I will admit that almost all of sonic's games suck nowadays, you shouldn't judge an entire series on the worst of the bunch. Go back and play the original games on the genesis, as well as Sonic CD. Appreciate them. They are fantastic games. Go play Sonic Rush. This game alone will prove to you that a good Sonic game can still be made and enjoyed.